The Trout Line November 7, 2022
THE TROUT LINE
November 7, 2022
Welcome to The Trout Line Newsletter! This is our Tualatin Valley Trout Unlimited Chapter newsletter that will be coming out twice a month on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month.
November Chapter Meeting - In Person and Virtually
We are meeting in person at 6:30 pm at Old Market Pub but you are also welcome to join us virtually using the Zoom link, https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83499378499pwd=NVBvRW9Tcmk0TTFZUTIvck13SW9qUT09.
To stay up to date on volunteer events, chapter meetings, and outings, please take a look at our website’s events page, https://tualatinvalley.tu.org/chapter/events.
We also share important information on our blog, http://tvtroutunlimited.blogspot.com, and Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/tualatinvalleyTU.
Please subscribe and follow us so that you don’t miss out on any of our exciting events.
Christmas for Coho (C4C)
Why C4C?
The initial motivation for C4C was the realization that Oregon coastal coho salmon, once numbering over a million strong, has declined dramatically in the last half of the 20th century, and in 1996, only about 50,000 wild coho returned to their natal spawning streams. The following year, Oregon coastal coho were listed as threatened under the endangered species act. Today, coastal coho are coming back, and over the last 5 years, an average of over 200,000 wild coho have returned to Oregon coastal streams to spawn, thanks in large part to hatchery reforms, harvest reductions, and habitat improvements.
Because they spend a year in their natal streams before migrating to the ocean, juvenile salmon, sea run trout, and steelhead depend on healthy freshwater habitats for their survival. These rapidly growing fish seek backwater sloughs, wetlands, and ponds with connections to river mainstems where they feed, hide from predators, and find relief from strong currents. However, one important habitat component that is often missing from these quiet waters is ‘woody debris,’ the important structure that provides shade and shelter for juvenile fish and substrate and nutrients for the invertebrates that they feed on.
Historically, stream channels and backwaters were full of fallen tree branches, whole trees, root wads, and woody material collected and dispersed by beavers. However, changing land use patterns over the years and the need for flood-water management have resulted in the ‘cleaning out’ of much of this material. The Christmas trees collected from the public and deposited into fish-rearing areas by TU volunteers are proving to be an excellent substitute for the woody debris that is in short supply in these habitats today.
More Information:
TVTU Website: https://tualatinvalley.tu.org/
TVTU Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/tualatinvalleyTU/
C4C Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/christmasforcoho/
